Out of curiosity...

Robert Kesterson robertk at robertk.com
Wed Dec 3 05:57:37 EST 2014 

I have tried a few times to export my Gnucash data to other programs, by 
converting the XML file to QIF.  I don't recall the tool I used -- 
Google will find it if you want to look.  I was never happy with the 
results.  The biggest issue I ran into was the depth of my account 
structure.  I had four levels (ie, 
Expenses:Business:Utilities:Electric).  That would almost always result 
in a big mess when I imported the QIF into something else.  When I 
realized the problem and pared back to 3 levels (ie, 
BizExpense:Utilities:Electric) then it would import mostly OK.

However, like I said, I've tried a few times (mostly lured by more 
attractive user interfaces), but I have always returned to Gnucash.  The 
real double entry accounting is more useful to me than the category 
approach that nearly everything else uses.  And, though the some of the 
other user interfaces look a lot slicker, none of them is as actually 
usable as Gnucash.  I enter every receipt in Gnucash, usually with 
several splits on each receipt.  I can do all of that without my hands 
ever leaving the keyboard in Gnucash.  I absolutely loathe programs that 
make me reach for the mouse when I'm trying to type in a bunch of data.

> Steve <mailto:butterandsalt at gmail.com>
> December 2, 2014 at 8:54 PM
> As I said in my original post, I was looking for anyone's success story in
> exporting the GnuCash data to another program, understanding that if 
> someone
> did that, they might no longer be monitoring this forum. I think I 
> used the
> word "silly" to express my acknowledged expectation that such a person 
> would
> still be lingering around to reply to me.
>
> There's a warm comfort level, similar to the smell of fall, or freshly 
> baked
> chocolate chip cookies, knowing that if for any reason you wanted to exit
> your life out of GnuCash, others have successfully paved the way, without
> regard to what avenue they chose.
>
> If I asked this same question in say, a Quicken forum, I'd get a ton of
> answers, as to how Quicken users have successfully exported their data to
> other programs. Upon reflection, I think my question is more important 
> than
> I first thought. I luv Gnucash, hate the absence of a full bodied mobile
> app, and like sitting in a movie theatre, find my comfort level would be
> increased if I knew an exit door existed, not that I wanted to use it.
>
>
>
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> Fast Radio <mailto:fastradio at yahoo.com>
> December 2, 2014 at 10:40 AM
> For what's it worth.
> I had a lot of trouble migrating to GNU Cash from Quickbooks.I had 
> been using Quickbooks before it was released to the public for sale 
> well over 20 years ago.Since 2009, I have been a Linux (Linux Mint) 
> user, and kept a separate computer for Quickbooks.In addition I had 
> purchased a commercial accounting program in 2012 "Accountz".  
> (accountz.com)
> What I ended up doing was "learning" to use GNU Cash on my own.The end 
> result of two years of trying to learn GNU Cash was rewarding. I am 
> pleased to say that while I had to lean on my own and struggle many 
> hours, the rewards will override the time and energy I had spent.  
> Since January of this year I have been 100% released from the bonds of 
> Quickbooks and Microsoft.
> If you have manual spread sheet experience and or accounting 
> experience, GNU Cash just makes sense.
> I now feel that I now have a better overall accounting package than 
> any of the commercial programs.The only deficient (in my opinion) is 
> that GNU Cash needs to find expert users throughout the World to help 
> others either in person or in  a classroom.
> For me, GNU Cash and a good Linux Desktop OS, is like a marriage made 
> in heaven.Drop Box offers 2 GB of free storage and my GNU Cash is 
> automatically backed up to the cloud.Yesterday, I set up a new lap top 
> computer, and Drop Box automatically filled it in with the needed 
> files I required. It just doesn't get easier than that.
> I suggest investing the time and effort.  I know it can be painful - I 
> suffered to get on-board - almost two years - but now I can handle my 
> affairs better than ever.  It seems like the more I put in the more I 
> got out.
>
> Jack HalemLong Beach, CA, USA
>
>
> On Monday, December 1, 2014 8:46 PM, Steve <butterandsalt at gmail.com> 
> wrote:
>
>
> My question was sincerely posed with NO other accounting package in 
> the back
> of my mind, or that I'm considering, or in my imagination; I was just
> curious how successful anyone has been, in trying to export GnuCash's
> structure and data to ANY other financial program.  Was a simple question.
>
>
>
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> Steve <mailto:butterandsalt at gmail.com>
> December 1, 2014 at 10:37 PM
> My question was sincerely posed with NO other accounting package in 
> the back
> of my mind, or that I'm considering, or in my imagination; I was just
> curious how successful anyone has been, in trying to export GnuCash's
> structure and data to ANY other financial program. Was a simple question.
>
>
>
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> Mike or Penny Novack <mailto:stepbystepfarm at mtdata.com>
> December 1, 2014 at 8:07 AM
> Steve wrote:
>
> Not silly exactly but the wrong place? With EVERY application I have 
> seen, commercial as well as open source, it seems accepted that the 
> responsibility of moving data between application alternatives is the 
> responsibility of the importing application. In other words, the 
> developers of that application (perhaps at the urging of their user 
> base, perhaps based upon a management marketing decision)  decide to 
> create tools to bring data form other application to their own. Or 
> decide not to bother.
>
> So it is on the forum of this other application I would look for 
> topics like "importing data from gnucash".
>
> Michael D Novack
>
> PS: That is a sensible division of responsibility. In either case (no 
> matter on which side the responsibility) the proof of the pudding 
> testing is that the data arrives correctly into the receiving 
> application and whether that process in some way messes up the data of 
> the sending application not important (a copy of the data would need 
> to be used if it did that, but that is trivial, and eliminates the 
> need to test what happens to the data). In other words, it's the 
> receiving end that must be tested.
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> Steve <mailto:butterandsalt at gmail.com>
> November 30, 2014 at 9:59 PM
> if one was inclined to switch over to another financial accounting 
> program,
> does anyone have any success stories to share on exporting data out of
> GnuCash and into another program (the question on its face seems rather
> silly, since anyone doing so, likely wouldn't be reading this forum, but
> stranger things have happened)?
>
>
>
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